Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 8 Nov 1956

Vol. 160 No. 6

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Increased Electricity Charges.

Mr. M.J. O'Higgins

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the number of occasions on which the E.S.B. sought and were granted permission to increase their rates of charge for electricity, the dates upon which such permission was given, the percentage increases allowed each time, and whether on such occasions the claims for increases were examined by any authority outside the Civil Service.

Mr. Norton

As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to have it circulated with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:—

APPLICATION BY E.S.B. FOR PERMISSION TO INCREASE CHARGES FOR ELECTRICITY

Date of Application	Nature of Application.	Decision and date notified.
14th October, 1941	Increase of 10% on existing charges (pre-war charges)	Approved but excluding Public Lighting and Unmetered and Slot-Meter Consumers. 30th October, 1941.
25th September, 1942	Increase of further 10% on pre-war charges except	Refused—1st October, 1942.
	(a) Public Lighting charges,
	(b) Unmetered current and coin limiter charges,
	(c) slot meter charges.
	(d) fixed charges based on valuation or floor area,
	(e) maximum unit rate for private residences in Cork City Area.
16th March, 1943	Increase of 30% on pre-war charges in lieu of 10% increase approved on 30th October, 1941.	Refused—9th April, 1943.
17th August, 1943	Above application renewed.	Increase to 20% above pre-war charges approved, except Public Lighting, Unmetered and Slot-Meter Consumers on which 10% above charges in force before 14th October, 1941, was authorised—15th September, 1943.
14th July, 1944	Increase of 50% on existing unit rates of charge—no change in fixed charge.	Refused—21st July, 1944.
19th March, 1945	Above application renewed.	Increases approved as follows:
		Current Limiters and Slot-Meter Consumers Public LightingAll other charges (except Cement Ltd.)	to 20% above pre-war rates.to 30% above pre-war rates.to 40% above pre-war rates.
		Cement Ltd.—as per contract. —31st May, 1945.
1st May, 1951	Increase of 0.3d. per Unit except in the case of night storage heating which would be increased by 0.2d. per Unit.	Approved—6th July, 1951.
19th March, 1952	Increase charges for water-heating during summer months from 0.7d. to 1d. per Unit for consumption above 360 units in each bi-mensal period.	Approved—6th May, 1952.
17th September, 1952.	Increase of 11% approximately in Industrial Maximum Demand Tariff.	Approved—26th January, 1953.
27th April, 1956	Increase of approximately 10% in charges.	(Minister requested Prices Advisory Body to hold a Public Inquiry on the application. Inquiry held on 29th June, 1956. Report of Advisory Body submitted to Minister).

NOTES.

(1) An application on 14th January, 1953, for approval for revision of two-part tariffs involved no increase in revenue.

Decision: Minister noted proposals and stated that, in view of the statutory obligations of the board and as the proposals were not designed to produce increased revenue, he had no observations to offer. (27/3/1953.)

(2) The application made by the board in April, 1956, was the only one examined by an authority outside the Civil Service.

Mr. Aiken

Would the Minister inform the House how much the electricity consumers have to pay in order to make up for the subsidy for rural electrification which the Coalition withdrew from the E.S.B.?